Women from the Ilaje community in Lagos State have warned that they may hold naked protests over the continued demolition of their ancestral homes.
On Tuesday, despite the heavy rain, hundreds of Ilaje people under the group Egbe Omo Ilaje marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly in Ikeja. They called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker Mudashiru Obasa to quickly stop the destruction of their settlements.
The protesters carried placards and accused some traditional rulers of acting like “land grabbers” by ordering the demolition of Ilaje communities.
One of the elderly women, who gave her name as Ifagbemi, said she and other women were ready to stage a nude protest at the palaces of the monarchs involved if the government failed to act.
She explained, “We are the first settlers in Lagos. Our ancestors came from Ilaje to Ebute-Ero, which was once called Olobun. If the government ignores us, we will remove our clothes and storm the palaces. All we want is peace and justice.”
The President-General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Rafael Irowainu, accused some monarchs of using President Bola Tinubu’s name to justify the illegal demolition.
According to him, “Some Obas have abandoned their duty to protect the people and turned into land grabbers. They falsely claim Tinubu sent them, but we know it is not true. Their actions are fraudulent and against the law.”
He also alleged that some of these monarchs were not even from Lagos, but from Osun and Ekiti States.
“None of them built Lagos, yet they oppress us for political gain. How can a king demolish houses without court approval? We are the real indigenes of Lagos. We are Yoruba, not strangers. These unlawful demolitions will only increase insecurity and homelessness,” he said, demanding compensation for affected families.
Another protester, Wole Adewusi, lamented that many families had lost their houses and properties. “Our wives and children are suffering. We beg Governor Sanwo-Olu to save us from these so-called kings who have turned into land grabbers,” he said.
Also, the Lagos State Chairman of Egbe Omo Ilaje, Prince Oluwajimusu, accused some people of trying to erase Ilaje heritage.
“You cannot tell the history of Lagos without mentioning Ilaje as one of the first settlers. What is happening is unfair to our people. We refuse to live as slaves in our land. By 2027, we will decide our political future,” he declared.
